Two Arrested in Connection with Eruv Vandalism

Illustration photo

Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the repeated vandalism of a controversial Eruv which encompasses Crown Heights.

The Eruv, which was built by members of Congregation Kol Israel this past summer, was vandalized on three separate occasions; one of those incidents affected the integrity of the adjacent Eruv in Park Slope.

Now, months later, police have announced the arrest of two individuals – both of Israeli origin, Yosef Doran, 21, and another resident of Crown Heights, 36.

Both have been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime.

After the arrest in the case, Naftali Hanautold DNAinfo that the synagogue was never “looking to have anyone thrown in jail.” To him, the bigger concern is the damage done to the Eruv, which he said cost about $11,000 to repair. “In my book, pay for the repairs and apologize and we’re good,” he said.

18 Comments

1.Yechi wrote:

2.Mom wrote:

Although I don’t agree that the eruv should have been vandalized, I wish the person who decided to build an eruv in crown heights against all our Rabbonim and our Rebbe would apologize. How many people from crown heights have died after that eruv went up. I know you would say that they had nothing to do with that. The reality is that when a decree is announced on high the innocent are often taken.

4.Milhouse wrote:

Why should they apologize? They are not the Rebbe’s chassidim, and have no reason to be stuck at home on Shabbos just because of his wishes, or because the rabbonim in one area enclosed within the eruv have come up with an extreme minority opinion against it? They didn’t build it for Lubavitchers, and they have every right to follow the overwhelming majority of poskim, according to whom all of Brooklyn is a karmelis which can be easily fixed.

5.Yankel Todres wrote:

6.Feffer wrote:

To preempt Milhouse, I hope you saw the light, and don’t propagate still for this audacious eruv.

As I’ve written here previously, forget the halachic debate whether this eruv is technically valid or not. The issue here is about a foreign entity (people who DON’T live here – in the Chabad boundaries of Crown Heights) imposing an eruv (=hashkafa) on a community of 10,000 people who’s rabbonim/leaders (the Rebbe) are explicitly against it. This is a disgraceful chutzpa, and a crime against the Rebbe. NYC is made up of many different communities b”H, each with its own customs (you cannot compare CH to BP or Flatbush which is made of people of many different stripes, it’s more comparable to all skverre Square Town or mostly Satmar Willi.). It’s time for CKI to respect the residents of our sh’chuna.
Chop it down!!! Keep it on your side of town!

7.Milhouse wrote:

Crown Heights is not separate city. It is one neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the people who built this eruv do live there. The Hanaus, for instance. It’s their neighborhood just as much as yours, and there is no reason they should not make an eruv

11.really!!! wrote:

12.chana wrote:

It always bothers me ton a very high degree, when people say maybe the reason this person or that person or people or this tragic event took place, is because of lack of a certain mitzvah, etc… we arw not g-d, and even have absolutely no right to decide why certain things occur.

On another note, yes it is annoying that we can’t carry on shabbos in crown heightst, but people arguing and fighting is way worse. this eruv needs to come down!

14.pure bs wrote:

The Eiruv should never have been put up.Despite what they say it was done in spite of & to stick it to The Rabbonim in my opinion. Having said that those who vandalized it were equally wrong & 2 wrongs don’t make a right. It is the opinion of The Rabbonim & others that the Eiruv is Pasul & those using it are Chayav fro the Melacha of carrying B’Mazid & are causing others less knowledgeable to sin & they will have to answer for that at the appropriate time

15.Milhouse wrote:

You are not entitled to your own facts.

The eruv was erected by non-Lubavitchers for non-Lubavitchers, and they had no interest in spiting the Lubavitcher rabbonim, nor any reason to pay attention to their opinions. They do not ask their shaylos to these rabbonim, they are not under their authority, and they had no reason to ask for their permission.

And it is pure amhoratzus to claim that those who carry are “Chayav fro the Melacha of carrying B’Mazid”.

1. Even if Brooklyn were a reshus horabim (which it isn’t), the eruv would at least turn it into a karmelis, and thus those who carry in it would not be doing a melacha.

2. Even if the opinion they are following were a minority rather than the overwhelming majority, they would be entitled al pi din to follow it, and therefore would not be mezidin. It is halacha pesuka that a Jew has the right to follow any legitimate psak, even a minority one, and he remains an observant Jew in good standing. The Shulchon Oruch explicitly rules that the Rhinish Jews, who ate what we hold to be cheilev, were to be considered 100% observant, and one may eat meat at their homes, from their keilim, relying on סתם כלים אינן בני יומן. And a teshuvah erroneously attributed to the Ramo makes the same point about the Moravian Jews, who drank goyishe wine; they remained 100% frum Jews. So how can you accuse Jews who are following the majority position of “carrying B’Mazid”?

16.eruv wrote:

17.Picaboo Shimon wrote:

I don’t understand the big deal about the eruv. If you don’t like the eruv then don’t use it and don’t carry on shabbos. But why do some feel they have a right to destroy it for those who want to use it?

If someone doesn’t like pizza he shouldn’t eat pizza. But what would give him the right to destroy a pizza shop and ruin it for others that like it?

18.Avrohom Yaakov Yosef wrote:

Here we go collecting money for “pidyon shvuyim”. People don’t have what to eat and because someone is a shor hamuad we now have to collect money for him (them)?!

I don’t hold of the eruv but I don’t go ripping it down. This is something for the Taliban from Tzfat to do. They will destroy anyone who gets in their way as they did numerous times in 770 starting with breaking down the front door.